"No: 312, 11 October 2017, Press Release Regarding the UN Secretary-General's report on his mission of good offices in Cyprus dated 28 September 2017

The final version of the report of the UN Secretary-General on his mission of good offices in Cyprus, covering the period from May 2015 to August 2017 and dated 28 September 2017, was distributed on 10 October 2017.

We observe that the report, in its present form, does not candidly reflect the facts concerning the comprehensive negotiation process which came to an end last July with the closing of the Conference on Cyprus. As such, it falls short of our expectations. Nevertheless, some of the observations made in the report by the Secretary-General, who witnessed all relevant developments, ought to be taken into account by the international community.

In this framework, we take note that the Secretary-General, while referring to the final phase of the process, emphasizes his conviction that 'political will, courage and determination, mutual trust and a readiness on the part of all parties to take calculated risks' were necessary to conclude the negotiations.

It is evident that the Secretary-General is not referring to Turkey or the Turkish Cypriot side with these remarks. This is clear because during the entire process leading up to the Conference on Cyprus, as well as during all phases of the Conference including its Crans-Montana session, the Greek Cypriot side never discarded its unrealistic approach to the Security and Guarantees chapter, which can be summarized as 'zero troops, zero guarantees'. The Greek Cypriots displayed no constructiveness whatsoever even on fundamental issues regarding the functioning of the partnership state whose establishment was being attempted on the Island. That is why it is also difficult to understand the remarks in the report to the effect that the parties were 'very close to reaching an agreement'.

Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side have displayed political will and expended courageous and determined efforts towards a negotiated, just, lasting and comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus issue based on the inherent constitutive will and the political equality of both sides in the Island of Cyprus, as well as their co-ownership of Island. We believe that the parties to the process, along with those who closely observed it, have been witness to this fact.

The Greek Cypriot side, on the other hand, did not display the necessary political will during the negotiations and persisted in this attitude during the Conference on Cyprus as well. Most recently, all parties witnessed the Greek Cypriot side's intransigent attitude at Crans-Montana. During the course of the Conference on Cyprus, the final phase of the process, the Greek Cypriot side went so far as to reopen for discussion convergences already agreed upon in principle during the process. Previously, as the negotiation process was continuing, they were the side which eroded the feeling of confidence at the negotiating table by adopting, with domestic political considerations in mind, a parliamentary decision on such a matter as "enosis", which forms the very basis of the Cyprus issue. It is again the Greek Cypriot side that has been dragging its feet in the implementation of steps agreed upon by the two leaders within the framework of Confidence Building Measures on the island. In fact, the Greek Cypriot side repeatedly derailed the process in the period prior to the Conference on Cyprus as well. As if that were not enough, they also leaked confidential documents to the press, in a manner neither in keeping with negotiation ethics nor with good faith, during the Crans-Montana session of the Conference on Cyprus in an environment in which sensitive negotiations were being held.

At this stage, it is unacceptable for the Turkish Cypriot side to continue to be punished as was the case in 2004, despite their having always displayed goodwill, determination and constructiveness in the half-century-long efforts aiming towards a settlement, including in this last process. It is not possible to forget how the promises made to the Turkish Cypriots in the aftermath of previous processes have not been kept. The Turkish Cypriots have made every effort in order to be able to live together in peace and partnership with the Greek Cypriots in Cyprus. It is now high time to put an end to the inhuman isolation imposed upon the Turkish Cypriot people and to lift the unjust restrictions on their contacts with the international community. The side working towards a settlement cannot be punished while the side preventing a settlement is rewarded.

Along with the Turkish Cypriot side, we are continuing our reflection on the steps that can be taken in the period ahead, in line with the call made on all parties by the Secretary-General in July and reiterated in his report. Whether or not the unacceptable isolation being imposed on the Turkish Cypriots continues in the period ahead will without doubt have a decisive impact on our reflection process.

Turkey sincerely supports a sustainable settlement of the Cyprus issue both with regard to strengthening stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and in light of the multitude of benefits a settlement could provide to the parties concerned. We will continue our efforts with determination and goodwill as we go on providing constructive contributions towards such a settlement. We invite the relevant parties to discharge their responsibilities in this regard by adopting a realistic and constructive attitude. On the other hand, whichever form the settlement process may assume in the period ahead, we welcome the readiness of the UN Secretary-General, whose contributions we favourably acknowledge, to continue providing his services."

[02] "TRNC ministry of foreign affairs": Guterres' report is a great source of disappointment

In a statement issued yesterday, the "ministry" claimed that whilst the report had the opportunity and potential to act as a guidebook for a solution, the current report, regrettably, will take its place on dusty shelves, along with all other documents belonging to the 50 year long negotiation process.

"The report, which supposedly takes an impartial approach, fails to provide a complete and accurate reflection of the developments in the latest negotiation process in general and Crans-Montana in particular, thus failing to adopt a just and fair approach. In his report, the Secretary General refrains from acknowledging that the recent process has failed due to the intransigence of the Greek Cypriot side. The fact that the lack of political will and determination of the Greek Cypriot side is equally attributed to all sides makes matters even worse" the statement alleged.

The "ministry" also pointed out in its statement that the report makes no reference to the negative stance of the Greek Cypriot side which reportedly refused to discuss, even in principle, the already agreed notion of rotating presidency, an indispensable part of the political equality of the Turkish Cypriot side.

"Furthermore, the report does not refer to the Turkish Cypriot side's openings regarding the Confidence Building Measures. Moreover, the Greek Cypriot side's intransigent approach of 'zero-troops, zero-guarantees' is overlooked. In this context, we would like to reiterate that the continuation of Turkey's guarantee rights is an indispensable element for the Turkish Cypriot side who would not vote in favour of an agreement devoid of it", the statement argued.

The statement further alleged that it will not be possible to reach a solution in Cyprus with the absence of an accurate evaluation on the causes behind the failure of the 50 year long negotiations.

"Despite the failure of the half-a-century old negotiation process, demonstrating that a settlement based on the current parameters is not possible, the Secretary General continues to refrain from acknowledging this fact in his report, thus, contributing to the continuation of the very status quo that the Secretary General himself deems unacceptable. This status quo means that the Turkish Cypriot people are obliged to live under inhumane isolation imposed on them. Once again our expectations from the UN and the Secretary General to adopt a determined and courageous approach have not been met, although such an approach would allow for the Turkish Cypriot people to take their rightful place in the international arena from which they have been unfairly secluded for so many years" the statement claimed.

[03] Ozgurgun's "office" criticized Guterres' report

A statement issued by the "prime minister's office" claimed that attempts made in the report to balance the Greek Cypriot side's unjust and negative stance with the Turkish side's sincere and generous stance was unacceptable.

"The UN report regarding the collapsed negotiation process is not different from previous UN reports. We are surprised to see how the report has glossed over the realities", the statement alleged.

The statement further claimed that the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo was resorting to new opportunist tactics on a daily basis. "The failure of the report to mention that the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades' rejection of the notion of rotational presidency despite having agreed to it earlier and his insistence on zero troops and zero guarantees is unacceptable", the statement argued.

[04] Albayrak: Turkey to hold first deep drilling for oil and gas in East Med in 2018

Albayrak said that Turkey aimed to open wells in Turkish and Cypriot waters [he refers to the occupied offshores of Cyprus], and drilling would also take place in the Black Sea, Reuters reported.

"We will make our first hydrocarbon drilling in the Mediterranean Sea before the end of this year. We plan to hold our first deep drilling in 2018," he said during a speech at an energy summit in the Mediterranean resort of Antalya.

"We are very hopeful for our exploration works in the area. We will start to open wells in Turkish and Cypriot waters," Albayrak added.

He announced in early April that Turkey would conduct seismic studies for oil and gas drilling activities, noting that exploration would occur in two areas in the Black Sea and two in the Mediterranean.

The country started its seismic energy exploration in eastern Mediterranean on April 21, in line with the government's "National Energy and Mining Policy".

Albayrak also noted that construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant would start at the end of this year or at the start of next year "at the latest."

Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation, Rosatom, plans to construct Turkey's first nuclear power plant in the country's southern province of Mersin in southern Turkey.

"The Turkish Atomic Energy Agency [TAEK], Turkey's regulatory body, is working on a detailed study for the construction permit for the Akkuyu nuclear power plant," Albayrak said, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Meanwhile, the energy watchdog has given a power generation license to Akkuyu Nuclear JSC for a 49-year period, starting as of June 15.

In a statement, the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK) said that the first unit of the power plant with a planned 4,800 MW installed power capacity was slated to become operational by 2025 according to the agreement, but the company has vowed to complete the work by Oct. 29, 2023, the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish Republic, read the statement.

[05] Atun indicated the models of Monaco and Gibraltar for the "political recognition of the TRNC"

Atun referred also to the water-transferred project from Turkey to the occupation regime as well as to the "project" aiming to transfer electricity to the occupied area of Cyprus via underwater cables. He claimed that in the "framework of the agreement" being "signed" last year, the works are at the final stage. He then expressed the wish that the "cable electricity project" will be completed this year.

Pointing to the importance of the "projects", Atun claimed that together with his "counterpart" Berat Albayrak, they will be developing these "projects" into global ones.

(AK)

[06] Columnist argues that the statements that "new models" are discussed after the Crans Montana are "testing of the waters"

"Perhaps the majority of the community is not positive to such a radical change, perhaps the opposition does not even take it seriously, but it is being discussed. I have written this the day before yesterday as well, there is no decent reply by the opposition to the statements that 'the negotiations have collapsed, we are not going to wait forever, [and] we must adopt a new model'. Silence prevails. There are only attacks against those who make these statements. Very well, if you think differently do you not have to explain your positions in a persuasive manner? I want to hear what the opposition thinks, its political and realistic counter-positions on the issue of the TRNC adopting another model, for example, the unification with Turkey in various degrees. […] And I am sure that the people expect them to […] put forward their reasonable positions. In the end a referendum for constitutional amendments will be put in front of us and we will not know what to do.

Let no one come out and say 'is it now known what we want?' Do we not know what the supporters of the new model have been wanting for a long time? However, look, only these positions occupy the agenda. What we see in the newspapers is that every day a different minister of the government continues saying the same things. […]"

The columnist notes that yesterday it was self-styled economy minister Sunat Atun's turn to allege that they do not intent to wait forever "in the position of being unrecognized and condemned to negotiating" and that they are discussing "new models" with their "motherland". According to the columnist, Atun also claimed that the breakaway regime will take its place in the world's political literature with its own model, perhaps like Monaco or Gibraltar. Moreket notes the following:

"It is obvious that there is a testing of waters. It is obvious that there is a preparation. Meanwhile, it is definite that all actions of the government are in the direction of their target as regards the model. Even the fact that during the past few days similar voices are coming from certain circles outside the government is enough to show the dimension of the effort. Do we need such a change? What it will bring and what it will take away? Does it have a place in the international law? What is the people's will? We have to discuss these.

Today is not a usual day. It is obvious that we are at the verge of a decision taking stage. […] It is for this reason that I say that the 2018 elections will be an election, which will shape not only the next five years of the TRNC but its future for a much longer term. […]"

(I/Ts.)

[07] CMP finds new remains of missing persons

According to information provided to TAK news agency by the CMP's Turkish Cypriot member Gulden Plumer Kucuk, the remains of several Greek Cypriot missing persons were discovered in a dig carried out in a military zone in the occupied village of Kontemenos.

She said that the remains will be identified and the exact number of persons found will be announced once the DNA testing is completed.

Pointing out that they had carried out excavations at 10 military sites last year and are carrying out digs at 11 sites this year, Kucuk said that excavations will be completed before the end of the year.

[08] So-called deputy who attended PACE' meeting in Stransurg posed a question to Jagland on the "embargoes"

Ozcenk's question to Jagland was as follows: "What does the Council of Europe considers to do concerning the political, economic, cultural and sport embargoes imposed the Turkish Cypriot people?". The "statement" by the "TRNC's representation" claimed that Jagland avoided in his response the reference about "isolation" and his response was as follows: "What could be done? What could be done is to reach a solution on the Cyprus problem. I was disappointed from the collapse of the talks. I hope that the negotiation talks will be revived in order for a solution to be found".

(AK)

[09] Turkish Cypriots participated in the Draughts World Championship in Estonia

The Turkish Cypriot association became a member of the World Draughts Federation in 2016 and a member of the European Draughts Federation in the beginning of 2017.

During their stay in Estonia, the chairman of the "association", Behcet Celebi met with Harry Otten and Frank Teer, chairman and general secretary of the World Draughts Federation respectively, Ibrahim Ismailov, responsible of Turkey's Draughts Federation and Jacek Pavliski, chairman of Poland's Draughts Federation and Director of World Draughts Federation's tournaments.

Moreover, Celebi voted in the election process of the World Draughts Federation new chairman, Janek Maggi.

(I/Ts.)

[10] US delegation to discuss visa crisis with Turkey

Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Jonathan Cohen will lead the delegation, the U.S. Department of State officials said. The sources added that Washington offered Ankara to form a joint commission to solve the ongoing crisis.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu became the first senior official to discuss the visa crisis between Turkey and the U.S. when he and his U.S. counterpart Rex Tillerson held a phone call on Wednesday. The meeting lasted around 40 minutes, diplomatic sources said, adding that the two Ministers discussed necessary steps to overcome the issue. Sources noted that both sides aim to resolve the matter as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, according to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 12.10.17), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan again claimed on Oct. 12 that it was U.S. Ambassador to Ankara John Bass who prompted the current visa suspension crisis.

"It is unacceptable that the U.S. has sacrificed a strategic partner like Turkey to a presumptuous Ambassador", Erdogan said.

On the same issue, Turkish daily Yeni Safak newspaper (online, 12.10.17) reports that Turkey has received a request from the United States to solve an escalating row between the two countries, the spokesman for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday, after a U.S. Consulate worker was arrested in Istanbul last week.

Speaking to reporters in Istanbul, Ibrahim Kalin said that cooperation between NATO allies Turkey and the United States in the fight against Daesh was not sufficient, and added that the ongoing visa crisis was not complicated and "could be resolved in one day."

[11] Interior Minister: 30,000 arrests in one year over terror charges

"We have conducted 68,464 operations against terrorist organizations in one year. Some 40,215 of them were against the [outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party] PKK, 25,818 of them were against [the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization] FETO, and the others were against DEASH [the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant] and other radical leftist terror organizations," Soylu said, in an address to governors in the capital Ankara.

"Following these operations 30,167 people were arrested, 2,242 terrorists were neutralized, 1,488 shelters were destroyed, and 515 terrorist actions were blocked before they could be conducted," he added.

Soylu also noted that as a part of security measures taken on its Syrian border, Turkey has built modular concrete walls amounting to 755 km so far.

"Our governorships have completed 44km trellis fence systems and 28km roads," Soylu added.

Meanwhile, Turkish daily Yeni Safak newspaper (online, 12.10.17) reports that Turkish Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gul said on Wednesday that 507 lawyers had been remanded in custody since last year's July 15 defeated coup attempt.

Gul's remarks came during a Parliament session, where he updated Deputies about the lawyers and judges prosecuted in the aftermath of the plot.

"There are 3,906 judges and prosecutors who have been dismissed during the investigation process," Gul said.

[12] Turkish court hands down prison sentence to WSJ reporter

According to a WSJ report on Tuesday, legal action against Albayrak, who is currently in New York, began on Aug. 19, 2015, for her article "Urban Warfare Escalates in Turkey's Kurdish-Majority Southeast".

The article and accompanying video reported on the state of a conflict in Turkey's majority-Kurdish-populated town of Silopi between Turkish security forces and the outlawed PKK. It included interviews with the local mayor and residents and a Turkish government official as well as a representative of the Patriotic Revolutionary Youth Movement (YDG-H), which Turkey says is the youth unit of the PKK.

Albayrak said the original article didn't include any praise for the PKK but rather provided a balanced and objective view of the urban warfare that had gripped areas of Turkey's predominantly Kurdish Southeast at the time.

"The decision shows the extent to which the authorities did not want the operations that were going on in Turkey's southeast to be reported on", said Albayrak. "It also shows yet again, that the international media is not immune to the ongoing press crackdown in Turkey."

Commenting on the conviction of his reporter, Wall Street Journal Editor-in-Chief Gerard Baker said, "This was an unfounded criminal charge and wildly inappropriate conviction that wrongly singled out a balanced Wall Street Journal report". "The sole purpose of the article was to provide objective and independent reporting on events in Turkey, and it succeeded," he added.

[13] Poll reveals most Turkish citizens do not care about EU accession

According to the survey conducted by the Objective Research Centre (ORC) between Oct. 6 and Oct. 8, more than three-quarters of respondents do not care about joining the EU following Turkey's squabble with it.

The survey was conducted among people in 35 provinces as part of efforts to understand what people think about Turkey's current agenda. A total of 2,580 people participated via telephone, and 77.3% of those surveyed were apathetic to Ankara's accession to the EU. In contrast to the majority of participants, 22.7% of those surveyed value accession to the EU.

The survey also found 63% of those surveyed are hopeful for the future whereas 32.5% are not and 4.3% preferred not to respond to the question.

According to the survey results, Justice and Development Party (AKP) would take 47.4% of the vote if an early election were to happen, the Republican People's Party (CHP) would garner 26.3% and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) would win 10.7%. The Democratic Peoples' Party (HDP) and Meral Aksener's new party would receive 7.3% and 6.2%, respectively.

As for Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), cross-border operations, the survey results show that 65.1% of interviewees supported them in contrast to 27% who said that the TSK should not carry out cross-border operations. A total of 7.9% of the participants did not answer.

The survey results show 74% of respondents support operations carried out against the PKK, the Gulenist Terror Group (FETO), Daesh and other terrorist-affiliated organizations while 21.6% of respondents oppose the operations and 4.4% of participants preferred to not answer the question.

According to the survey, 55% of participants support President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, 48% of participants support Prime Minister Binali Y?ld?r?m, 35.7% of participants support CHP Chairman K?l?cdaroglu and 32.9% said they support MHP Chairman Devlet Bahceli.

Considering the country's founding principles, 65% of participants said that the Republic and laicism in Turkey is not under threat, 29.5% believe it is and 5.5% did not respond.

TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

http://www.pio.gov.cy/moi/pio/pio2013.nsf/indexel/indexel?OpenDocument

(DPs / AM)

Copyright (C) 2017 Press and Information Office, All rights reserved.

Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article